The importance and place of Persian propaganda in Greco- Persian wars

The series of wars between Persia and Greek, and the effective elements and factors in Achaemenid conquests, have received a fair deal of scholarly attention. However, what generally has been neglected is the propaganda used by both rival sides. The Achaemenid inscriptions and accounts of Greek historians suggest that the Persians and Greeks were not negligent in applying propaganda and anti- propaganda methods in different levels against together. The Persians in their conquests attempted, on various levels, to influence the subject of ethics and nations by the authority and greatness of their empire. The Greeks, particularly, were not an exception; the Persians in their expeditions to Greek showed that how much the use of propaganda manners can weaken the enemy and calling up the Greek allies. Sending messengers for gathering of information, to contact with effective forces such as the Greek temples Delphi, Branchidai, Magnesia, to propagandize the power and gracefulness of the Great King, the numerous number of royal army, sharing of more ethics and nations in expeditions, the celebration of various warlike matches, to review army in different places, the issuance of declaration and establishment of the steles in coquetted areas are propaganda cases that the Achaemenid used both in their conquests. Accordingly, this paper studies the Persian’s propaganda policy through survey of elements and ways of their propaganda in the Medic wars.